Next Step
by Klutzygirl33
Summary: Ruby tries to figure out what to do next after ending up pregnant with Whale's kid. Ruby/Victor. Warning for mentions of abortion.


**Disclaimer**: I don't own Once Upon A Time and never will. No copyright infringement intended.

**Warning**: Talk about abortion.

* * *

Ruby was first tipped off that something was up with her body when her already heightened sense of smell seemed to worsen. She wasn't sure why this was occurring, but didn't think this was a symptom of anything (a big mistake) and brushed it off. She continued about her day and tried to ignore that she could smell pretty much _everything_ now. It was a little disconcerting, one of the main reasons Ruby decided to ignore whatever was going on. Granny had started giving her some weird looks, but that was nothing new. As a result, Ruby paid no attention to the stares.

A few days later, she was again tipped off that something wasn't right when she noticed Henry (now a teenager) gazing at her while eating dinner with Emma. She glared at the thirteen year old and he returned to glancing at his food. It was after the two got up and Henry left that Ruby got an answer as to why he was watching her. Emma paused before plowing ahead with what she wanted to discuss with her. "Is there something you're not telling anybody?"

A confused Ruby shook her head. "What are you talking about?" She couldn't even begin to imagine why Emma had started this conversation unless it had to do with why Henry was perving on her.

Emma weighed her options before leaning forward and whispering to her. "Your boobs are huge, thus why my kid was staring at you."

She glared at the sheriff. "Are you accusing me of getting a boob job or something? I haven't even been out of town in weeks! When would I have gotten a boob job?" Ruby was aware that her voice was raised, but ignored the patrons and Granny shaking her head at the other side of the counter.

"No! I definitely do not think you got a boob job. Are you pregnant?" Emma probably should have brought this up in private, but Henry hadn't been the only one staring.

"What? No, I am not pregnant! What the hell gave you that idea?" A now panicking Ruby tried to calm herself down because she wasn't pregnant.

"The fact that your boobs have gotten bigger in the past few weeks. Take a test." Emma gave her an encouraging smile and then turned to leave, rejoining Henry and a newly showed up August outside.

When there was a lull, Ruby escaped to the back room to panic some more. It was definitely possible she was pregnant – She and Victor had been having a lot of sex lately. But she wasn't going to panic – Her period wasn't late. The heightened sense of smell and the bigger boobs could possibly be a coincidence. She was going to stick with that for another few days because there was no reason to freak out yet.

Later that night, after Ruby got off work and went to Victor's apartment, the doctor noticed that she was distracted. "Are you okay? You don't look all that great."

"I'm fine. Let's just watch this movie." She didn't even want to think of sex right now and cursed herself for not cancelling either. How could she have been so stupid? Poor Victor was probably confused as hell by her bizarre behavior, but Ruby couldn't bring herself to care.

"Okay…" Victor went to go ask her another question but thought better of it and hit play. He put his arm around Ruby's shoulder and she squirmed a few seconds before settling down. They ended up watching two movies instead of having any sex. He was confused as to why she came over if they weren't going to do anything, but shrugged and let it go. Ruby would tell him what was wrong when she was ready to. He'd wait for that to happen.

A week later, Ruby could no longer discount any of the symptoms that were piling up. Her period was three days later (something that never happened) and now she was battling nausea in the afternoons (She hesitated to call it morning sickness, but wondered who the fuck had named it that when it clearly happened all times of the day).

After work, she dropped by the pharmacy and picked up a few pregnancy tests. She was never more grateful that she lived alone and didn't have to face her grandmother's prying stare when she got home and took the tests.

A few minutes later, Ruby resisted the urge to hit something when the test revealed what she already suspected – She was knocked up. Her heart dropped and tears welled up in her eyes. "Damn it." She had hoped that she was somehow wrong and Emma had just planted the idea in her mind to freak her out, but that definitely wasn't true. She was pregnant with Victor Frankenwhale's baby when she didn't want to be.

Ruby really liked Victor and enjoyed the sex, but she didn't see a future with him. She definitely didn't want to be tied to him forever. And the most important factor of all was that she didn't want to carry on her curse. She didn't like being a werewolf very much even though she had accepted it. Ruby didn't want someone innocent to inherit this.

Her mind made up about what to do, but still willing to talk to someone, she called Victor to break the news to him. "We're not having sex, but get your ass over here anyway. I need to talk to you."

"Sure." Victor had a feeling he knew what she was going to tell him – He was a doctor after all and all the symptoms had started to build up and stare him right in the face (He really enjoyed the bigger boobs, honestly and intended to take full advantage of that as soon as possible).

When Victor showed up, Ruby made him sat down. "You knocked me up, Victor, so thanks for that. Although it's not fair to blame you since we're both at fault for this."

He grabbed her hand and then smiled. "So you're having my kid. How do you want to handle this?"

She pursed her lips before speaking. "I don't. I want to get an abortion." And it was a possibility now that they were allowed to cross the town line without consequences.

Victor stared at her for about two minutes before recovering. "You want to abort?" He wasn't opposed to the idea, but he was surprised.

She nodded. "I don't want this baby. I used to think I wanted to be a mom, but I'm fine just being Aunt Ruby. And this kid doesn't deserve to get this curse from me. It's not fair to them. Plus, we're not even together. We're just fucking, Victor. Sorry if that hurts you."

"You do realize who you're talking to, right? I enjoy the fucking and I don't want to be in a committed relationship. It's nice just having fun with you, Ruby. And I will support any decision that you make. But I do plan to get a vasectomy so another accident like this doesn't happen. I don't want to be a dad either." He didn't want to knock up Ruby (again) or anybody else. He was perfectly content being a bachelor. And a kid would definitely put a damper on that.

She smiled and then leaned over to kiss him. "Thank you for saying that. Now, since I can't get knocked up again, want to go have sex?"

Victor laughed. "Sure."

When he left, Ruby called Snow and Emma over because she needed to discuss this situation with them. They (and a still recovering Belle) were her best friends.

"So you've finally accepted it?" Emma grabbed a piece of candy from the bowl and waited for Ruby to start talking.

"I guess you could say that. I am definitely pregnant." She winced when Snow let out a squeal.

"Oh, I am so happy for you, Ruby! This is amazing. Whale's the father, right? Or is there somebody else you didn't talk to me about?" Snow was excited for her best friend.

Ruby cringed. "Yeah, about that. Um, I'm planning on aborting. I don't want to pass this werewolf thing on to a kid and I don't want one anyway."

Snow gaped at her while Emma reached her hands across the table to squeeze Ruby's. "I'm here for you, you know that? I will be there if you want me to be. You're sure this is what you want?" She just wanted to make assured that this was truly what her friend wanted.

She nodded while Snow slowly started to recover. "You want to kill your baby?"

Ruby and Emma both rolled their eyes. "It's just a mass of cells right now. Besides, this is what I want to do. Can you please support me?"

"Why not adoption? You can give the baby to a family who can't conceive." Snow knew that this happened all the time, but she had never known anybody who had chosen abortion before. It was a little bit shocking to her.

"Because I'm not dumping a werewolf on some poor unsuspecting couple. Adoption works for some people – like Emma – but it's not for me. Nothing is going to sway me otherwise. I'm going to make an appointment as soon as possible." Ruby really hoped that Snow would be able to see her side because she wanted her there when she went to the appointment.

Snow had to admit that Ruby had made a good point. "I don't agree with it, but I know there's no changing your mind."

The next day, Ruby made the appointment and told Granny about her pregnancy and subsequent decision to terminate it. She liked the thought of having a baby around, but had to admit that her granddaughter had some valid arguments. She hugged and kissed Ruby and went about her business. It was Ruby's body and her choice – She was fine with the decision.

A few days later, it was time for the appointment. Ruby drove with Snow and Emma to the nearest town that had a clinic. Snow still didn't agree with her decision to abort, but she supported her friend anyway because that's what good friends did. She didn't have to like Ruby's decision and didn't judge her for it. Ruby was definitely thankful for that.

Ruby never once regretted her choice to abort and was tremendously content just to be Aunt Ruby to Snow and David and Emma and August's children. She spoiled them rotten and plied them full of sugar whenever they came to visit her. She and Victor's friends with benefits relationship didn't last very long, but that was fine with them. The two of them were both much happier in the long run and were better off as friends.


End file.
